We want to thank everyone for making the first annual Harvey Milk Day a success! Harvey would be proud!

Please continue to send us thoughts, comments, videos and photos of your celebrations so we can continue to strengthen our Harvey Milk Day resources to make next year's even better. We will be putting up your videos/photos and testimony on our HMD page to inspire other GSAs and activists in coming years.

As your school year comes to an end, please help GSA Network with some feedback by taking our Year End Survey. Your GSA will be entered to win $100!

Well, now that May is almost done, Pride is nearly here! We encourage students to join your local GSA contingent and march in the pride parade! More details below. We hope to see you there!

GSA Network Offices will be closed May 31, 2010 for Memorial Day.

In Solidarity,GSA Network

NETWORK NEWS HIGHLIGHT: Keeping Harvey's Dream Alive

This past weekend GSAs throughout California and the nation marked the first annual Harvey Milk Day on May 22nd. After lobbying the California Legislature to adopt Harvey Milk Day for two years, students celebrated their hard won victory by organizing events in their schools and communities. Students held educational rallies, movie screenings, gave out cookies with milk, talked to their peers, served Harvey Milkshakes, and even had birthday cakes for Harvey!

Cynthia Schroeder of I-Poly High in Pomona shared with us her GSA's creative idea that would have made Harvey Milk proud. Wanting to raise funds for their GSA's activities next year and educate their school about Harvey Milk, the I-Poly High GSA sold Harvey Milkshakes. As Cynthia described it, "We took each Milkshake cup and put on a sticker with Harvey's picture and a brief summary on why he is significant to not only the LGBT community, but to all of California." Delicious and educational!

Other GSAs used Harvey Milk Day as a chance to build coalitions

Dinuba High School GSA prepares for Harvey Milk Day

fighting for equality with other students in their schools. Aaron Alvardo of Dinuba High in the Central Valley, explained how his GSA did this. Aaron said, "We had a movie screening of the Harvey Milk documentary and accompanied that with milk and cookies. Instead of just having our GSA members attend, we sent letters to different ethnic clubs, multicultural clubs, and clubs that strive to achieve diversity, in order to build a stronger network of progressive Dinuba High School youth who will be willing to help us in future events." By building bridges with other progressive students groups on Harvey Milk Day, Dinuba High's GSA is creating the alliances that make equality a reality, just like Harvey Milk did.

Students at El Cerrito High School in the Bay Area similarly saw the opportunity to build progressive coalitions in honor of Harvey Milk's civil rights legacy. Four clubs took turns throughout last week honoring "Forgotten Activists" of several civil rights movements. The coalition included the GSA, the Jewish Student Union, Green Justice, and the African-American/Black Student Union. On Monday, this week, the GSA read a short bio of Harvey Milk and re-enacted Harvey Milk's famous "You Gotta Give 'Em Hope" speech during lunch in the main quad.

Other GSAs took Harvey's message to heart and are building connections between GSAs in different schools. Ale Alarcon of Hawthorne Math and Science Academy in Hawthorne has been working to unite her local GSAs to celebrate Harvey Milk Day together. Ale described how her GSA celebrated Harvey Milk Day: "Our GSA decided to reach out to the other high school GSAs in the South Bay area. For the past couple of weeks the leaders of each of the GSAs have worked together to come up with a what we're calling 'South Bay GSA Mixer: Harvey Milk Day'. Basically, the event is a typical GSA meeting with the focus set on Harvey Milk. What makes the event unique is that it brings together youth from the same community with the same beliefs and interests. It gives everyone the opportunity to network and form coalitions fighting for the rights of LGBT people in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County."

Jason Galisatus speaks durring HMD rally

Some GSAs focused on organizing rallies to educate their schools not just about Harvey Milk, but all the issues facing LGBT people in the United States. Jason Galisatus of Aragon High in San Mateo described what his GSA did: "Our GSA planned a school-wide rally in honor of Harvey Milk. At this rally, we had music playing and continued to have our educational table. On top of that, we had fun decorations and balloons and a Harvey Milk birthday cake that attracted lots of students. At the table, we handed out stickers that said "I support the freedom to marry" and had people record short videos about why they support equality. We got an excellent response and compiled them into a Youtube video that can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4gv82l1ugI."

What motivates so many youth in different communities to honor the life and memory of one man?

Anna Sturla of Emerson High in Davis, explained her GSA's support Harvey Milk Day as simply being, "To let LGBT youth know that they can have a hero, too."

Cynthia Schroeder of I-Poly High in Pomona shared what motivated her GSA to honor Harvey Milk at her school. Cynthia said, "Our GSA organized a Harvey Milk Day because we wanted to spread awareness about this historical figure to our school. We felt that this holiday should be celebrated and that Harvey Milk, a hero to the LGBT community, deserves to be recognized amongst all students and staff."

Jason Galisatus draws inspiration and hope from Harvey. Jason explains, "Harvey Milk truly means hope. To many people during his time, Harvey was a true role model. He led the coming out movement and jump-started the modern LGBT liberation struggle. To our GSA, he is revered as the father of our movement, for without his work, having a GSA might not even be possible. We all owe it to him and his work that GSAs and subsequent support networks for LGBT youth and their allies exist."

Students at Golden West GSA in the Central Valley celebrate with Milk Duds

Aaron Alvardo sees Harvey Milk as representing a change in what the LGBT community thought was possible to achieve. Aaron reflected, "Harvey Milk symbolizes to my GSA a pivotal turning point in LGBTQQIA history and in how LGBTQQIA people saw themselves. With Harvey Milk's election to office, young LGBTQQIA youth were able to open up a paper and see somebody like them, somebody that society deemed deviant and wrong, achieved a position of power that was won through public support. Harvey Milk opened the eyes of a whole generation of LGBTQQIA youth to the fact that not being part of a majority doesn't make us bad, sick, or any less capable of achieving great things."

In honoring Harvey Milk Day and making it a day of activism and education, GSA activists are fighting to bring Harvey's dream of full equality for LGBT people to communities throughout California. From Pomona to Dinuba, the victories GSA activist youth win everyday in their schools are proof that the cause Harvey gave his life for is alive and well. Let's keep Harvey's dream alive everyday by working to make our schools and communities safe and accepting places for all LGBT students.

If you fill out the survey by June 30th, your GSA will be entered into a drawing to win $100 to use to have an event, buy supplies, or snacks for your meetings!

1. March with GSA Network in the 2010 SF Pride Parade!

GSA Network invites GSAs all over CA to participate in the 2010 Pride Festivities

Do you have visions of being adored by screaming fans? Do you want people cheering for you? Does the sound of clapping make you want to dance in the street?

Sunday, June 27th is the day for you to experience all that and more!

You and your GSA are invited to come march with us in our GSA Network pride contingent. It's totally free, you can bring as many of your GSA members and adult supporters that you want, and we have snacks and water for you!

But that's not all! The first 50 GSA members to show up to the Pride Parade will get a free whistle to use and keep. There will also be hundreds of beaded necklaces to pass out to that adoring crowd while walking down the parade route.

Youth who want their GSA recognized in a sign should either make it themselves or email/call me to let me know they want a sign made for them. Then just show up and we'll have a sign waiting for you.

San Francisco Pride Parade, Sunday, June 27thCheck www.gsanetwork.org for exact location and time when it gets closer to the June 27th date.

You know you wanna apply for this NEW leadership program where you get a $200 stipend and FREE gifts! Did we mention free Fast Passes? Oh, and free food?

And don't forget that little Certificate of Recognition from District Attorney Kamala Harris when you successfully complete the program!

What is it, you ask?!

The Youth Hate Crime Prevention Peer Leadership Program is a collection of dynamic youth of different races and sexual orientations from San Francisco*. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and discuss issues of discrimination, harassment, racial violence, hate crimes, and tensions in their schools and communities.

Led by local experts, youth will participate in two hour workshops spanning eight weeks. You will learn to advocate for positive change in your schools by being role models. In effect, you will educate your peers about bigotry and acts of youth violence or intimidation based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or other differences.

Opportunities will be provided for you to set your own program goals relating to projects and to practice skills learned in real life settings. Food will be served at workshops. Fast passes will be distributed for transportation. Additionally, a $200 stipend and a Certificate of Recognition will be awarded to successful participants by District Attorney Kamala Harris.

The Youth Hate Crime Prevention Peer Leadership Program is a collaborative initiative between the District Attorney's Office, Bar Association of San Francisco., Department of Justice, Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Community Youth Center, United Playaz, Brothers Against Guns, Boys and Girls Club-Columbia Park, and other community organizations.

*Please note that this is for SF youth only who are currently in high school or middle school in San Francisco!

5. Fresno Rainbow Pride 20th Annual Pride Parade

The 20th Annual Central Valley & Fresno's GLBT Pride Parade and Festival will take place on SATURDAY, June 5th 2010 in the Tower District between 10am and 3pm.Come and march with GSA Network in the 20th Annual Central Valley & Fresno's GLBT Pride Parade!

Dani Bernstein, who graduated from Brentwood School in Los Angeles in 2004, got her start in LGBTQ activism at her GSA.

"Junior year our GSA made a presentation to faculty of our school about things they could do to stop slurs on campus. We made speeches to staff and I came out to my teachers during my speech. After that, teachers stopped students from saying 'that's so gay' in class. This event had a big impact on how other students saw our GSA. They were less afraid to show their support for our GSA. The culture of our school changed because of our event, and I learned to have faith that we can change the world around us."

"GSA Network's resources were also very helpful to my high school's GSA. I joined the SoCal Youth Council in 2003 and with the help of the staff we got a powerful video from GSA Network that we showed at our event."

GSA Alumni continue their activism long after they graduate from high school.

"After college I worked on the No on Prop 8 Campaign. All of last year I worked in New Jersey to pass the same-sex marriage bill. What I'm doing right now is working for the Oregon Bus Project. They run the Politicorps Fellowship, which I did the summer after I graduated college. Now I'm a field mentor working to train current Fellows in progressive politics and field organizing."

Thanks to alumni like Dani, GSA students have alumni to look up to as role models for their future activism. Do you want GSA Network to provide greater support and opportunities for alumni to get involved? Help us offer more opportunities for alumni to get involved by filling out our INCREDIBLE GSA Network Alumni Survey at:

And the big news: We're creating two brand new DVDs, which will be ready this fall! Stay tuned for more information!

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

GSA Network News is a publication of Gay-Straight Alliance Network. Events, resources, and news items listed under "Other Announcements" are not sponsored or written by GSA Network, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of GSA Network.

Come join other transgender, gender bending, gender nonconforming teens, children and families for three days of celebrating individuality, making friends, and having fun.

Meet other trans and genderqueer teens and adults, hang out, and explore topics on gender: workshops about school, medical and legal issues, privacy and much more!

This year's conference is scheduled to take place in Berkeley, CA over Labor Day Weekend, September 3 - 6, 2010, and promises to be an unforgettable experience for all. You will leave with fresh ideas, new friends, and great resources and support!

Service, by its very nature, is about finding the best in ourselves and in each other. Everyone's effort is important. Service, when we do it well is about growth and win-win.

Stories that touch and inspire students are often ones they hear from their peers.

PARADE Magazine and The LEAGUE (a national youth service-learning organization which empowers young people to make a positive difference in their communities) are seeking nominations for a new form of award, The All America High School Service Team, to recognize students who have made exemplary contributions in the service areas of: health, education, environment, economics or community. These students show service as a solution to solve community problems and the power of stories to inspire others to action.

All nominees will receive our thanks, those who are selected as final recipients will be invited to receive an award and accept the challenge of a task: developing their own ideas as a national group for promoting service and service-learning in schools nationwide. Winners will be asked to share their stories, and help reach out to other youth towards finding the best in each of us.

After a brief hiatus, TUFF is back! It's for transgender people and gender variant individuals (newly out, youth, adults, out for many years, pre transition, post transition, mtf, ftm, genderqueer, etc.).

Right now it's a social group, where we can gather a few times a month to just enjoy the company of each other. We can ask each other questions, have discussions about things that might be bothersome in the community, and just get a sense of belonging.

It's a new launch picnic party Saturday June 19th at Plummer Park, which is VERY LGBT friendly.

Join ENCOMPASS for a free preview of Creating Bias-Free Classrooms, a powerful training program that uses live, interactive theater to equip educators to build safer and more inclusive classrooms for students targeted by homophobia.

Utilizing a cast of high school theatre students, the Creating Bias-Free Classrooms transports educators into contemporary classroom settings. Each training explores various methods of handling student bias and illuminates teachers' power to increase equity for all students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender expression.

The government that represents YOU engages in unprovoked wars for financial gain and power, imprisons and tortures innocent civilians without being charged with crimes or given a trial, cuts funding to your education while spending more on defense than any other nation in the world, bails out corporations while millions of homeless people starve and live on the streets, discriminates against queer/trans people, immigrants, poor people, women, people of color, and disabled people...

We say ˇYA BASTA! Enough is Enough!

This summer 2010, One Imagination offers ˇYA BASTA! / Enough is Enough!: Summer Youth Organizing Institute, a program building the leadership and power of youth ages 13-19 in the South Los Angeles, South Bay/Harbor, and Long Beach area. Through political education and organizing skills, youth will receive the resources and tools to exercise their power as leaders through campaign development, community building, advocacy, and direct action organizing.

ˇYA BASTA! / Enough is Enough!: Summer Youth Organizing Institute is an intensive summer youth leadership and organizing program that provides local middle school and high school students with the skills necessary to resist injustice and oppression within their communities. Through nontraditional teaching methods including interactive workshops, group discussions, guest speakers, field trips, readings, and hands on experiences, youth will learn the basics of direct action organizing, community building, campaign development, and see how these tactics and strategies have been applied in movements all throughout the world present and past. ˇYA BASTA! / Enough is Enough! provides a historical foundation of U.S. and global resistance to key issues directly connected to young people and demonstrates methods of how to resist and organize alternatives.

Equal Action is looking for queer and ally youth to help organize their 2nd annual queer high school youth march in LA this October. Our first march last year, Youth Today: Walking for Equality, was LA's first-ever queer high school youth march! It attracted around 300 people, a majority of which were youth, as well as various media outlets such as CBS and Univision. If you know of any youth who might be interested, please let them know. All Queer youth of all backgrounds are encouraged to participate. You can click here for more information.

Equal Action is a youth-powered, anti-racist, multigenerational organization that mobilizes the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) community to join the fight for social justice. In organizing and supporting actions for change in overlooked communities, we collaborate with those who work to end oppression in all its forms.

14. Marmonte League of GSAs invite you to Network!

MARMONTE LEAGUE GAY/STRAIGHT ALLIANCE (SoCal)An association of 7 high school GSAs

Goals:1. All seven local high schools will have functioning GSA clubs.2. GSA club members will plan and conduct frequent, local, social events: dances, film nights, hikes, bicycle trips, bowling, picnics, volleyball, etc.3. GSA officers and members will have regular communication among the clubs.4. GSA club advisers will communicate regularly.5. GSA advisers, officers, and club members and community organizations will plan and conduct monthly activities together.6. Traditional teen activity sponsors (teen centers, recreation centers, YMCA, Churches/Temples, Rainbow Alliance, PFLAG, LAGLC, etc.) will all be involved.Contact:dpollock@att.net

ACTIVITIES (information about all activities available on the Marmonte GSA Facebook page):

The ACLU of Northern California will host a Know Your Rights Training in Fresno on May 27th at 6:00 pm in the Sarah McCardle Room of the Fresno Central Library (2420 Mariposa Street).

The training will cover the rights of LGBTQ Youth in schools and the rights of LGBT employees.

We hope to see you there. The event is open to youth, community members, teachers, students, program directors, youth services, counselors, and anyone else interested in learning about teaching others about their rights as LGBTQ youth in schools.

We will be presenting on the newly created publication that you can download from our website.

Trans-e-motion has a social meeting on the first Saturday of each
month.Time and location to be
announced.See calendar or call (559)
255-4075.

There
is a Trans-e-motion
business meeting on the third Saturday of each month at 5:00 p.m. to
about 7:30
p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Equality California office, Van Ness
Towers office Bldg., 1055 N. Van Ness Ave. "C", near Alhambra (South of
Olive), Fresno,
California, 93728, U.S.A.

Must be at least a freshman in high school (in the Bay Area of California) to volunteer!

Do you know a teen that has always been a good listener and cares for others? Has an interest in volunteering? Or maybe YOU are that teen?

Do you want to be a chat room counselor? The onyourmind.net website was created for teens, by teens and features LIVE PEER COUNSELING! Teens can chat anonymously to other teens about their problems and get advice from a trained peer counselor. The chat room is open weeknights, 4:30-9:30 pm, when most teens are using their computers. During our volunteer training we will give you the tools you need to help teens in crisis.

BENEFITS!*Help teens around the country*Gain counseling skills*Looks GREAT on college applications*Meets volunteer requirement for graduation*Time to work on homework in between chatting*Meet new and fun people*FREE SNACKS!

The San Francisco GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives.

Each year, hundreds of guests, celebrities and volunteers take part in a glamorous and meaningful night for the LGBT community. If you would like to volunteer at the San Francisco Media Awards event, please see below for volunteer opportunities and how to sign up! Spend time meeting like-minded individuals all while doing good for the LGBT community and having a blast!

To volunteer, please sign up at www.glaad.org/volunteers and click "Become a Volunteer". Once you are signed up as a GLAAD volunteer, you will gain access to your personal log in page where you can sign up for any shift on the 4th and 5th.

Please email Jackie Olson (Director of Volunteer Management) at olson@glaad.org if you have questions about this volunteering opportunity.

GLAAD relies on its volunteers and we would love to have your support during this very important event!Hope to see you there!

To see a trailer of the film or to find out more about California LGBT History, please visit: www.impactstories.org.

26. Hey GSAs, wanna be a part of a FLASH MOB for Pride??

We are hoping you and your local
GSAs would be interested in participating in a Flash Mob at SF PRIDE.
If so, please share with everyone and anyone you think might be
interested.

We are looking for dancers for a fun, exciting and meaningful flash mob for SF Pride.

A few details:-You must be available for rehearsals in June: Thursday evenings (8:30pm - 10:30pm) and Sunday mornings (9am - 12pm) at Studio Gracia: 19 Heron Street, SF 94103-You must be available to perform June 27th (specific time announced at rehearsals).

LYRICLYRIC's
mission is to build community and inspire positive social change
through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and
leadership development with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer,
and questioning youth, their families, and allies of all races,
classes, genders, and abilities.

Are you looking transform yourself and your community through service? The Massachusetts Promise Fellowship can help you do just that. Visit www.masspromisefellows.org to learn more and apply to be a Fellow!

LEARNLearn The Skills

* Develop your organizational and communication skills * Grow as a leader of your own project * Build on your passion for national and community service * Learn skills that will prepare you for the real world

* Excellent organization and communication skills * The ability to work independently and as part of a team * Proven leadership and project management abilities * A passion for national and community service * The desire to work with diverse constituencies * Flexibility and a good sense of humor * To be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident Alien